Three men transporting cattle last month in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district died after jumping off a river bridge while being chased by a group of people, according to a chargesheet filed by the police. The chargesheet, submitted in a Raipur court on July 8, stated that the men were not assaulted but instead died from injuries sustained from the fall.
The incident occurred on the morning of June 7 when cattle transporters Guddu Khan (35) and Chand Miya Khan (23) died after being chased by a mob in the Arang police station area. Their associate, Saddam Qureshi, was injured in the incident and later died in a Raipur hospital on June 18.
The three men, from Uttar Pradesh, were discovered below the bridge on the Mahanadi River, with their truck, carrying buffaloes, found parked on the bridge. Initially, an FIR was lodged under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 307 (attempt to murder), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC against unidentified persons. However, after Qureshi’s death, the murder attempt charge was dropped as his post-mortem report did not indicate homicidal injuries.
A 14-member special team led by Raipur Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Kirtan Rathore investigated the case, resulting in the arrest of five individuals. The chargesheet detailed that the accused had received information about the vehicle transporting cattle and pursued it for approximately 53 km. The accused used iron spikes, wooden strips, and glass pieces to stop the truck, forcing it to drive on the wrong side of the road for about 14 km.
The truck eventually stopped on the Mahanadi bridge after one of its tires was damaged. Fearing for their lives, the three men jumped off the bridge, resulting in the deaths of Chand Khan on the spot and Guddu Khan while being taken to the hospital. Qureshi died from his injuries after two weeks of treatment.
The police document emphasized that the accused’s actions showed they knew their pursuit could result in death or serious injury, fulfilling the criteria for a criminal act under section 304 of the IPC. Consequently, the chargesheet was filed under sections 304 and 34 of the IPC.
The incident was initially reported by Shoheb Khan, a cousin of Chand Khan and Qureshi, who claimed that a mob had attacked the three men. According to Shoheb, Chand Khan had called him during the attack but the call was disconnected before details could be provided. Qureshi also made a call to a friend, Mohsin, during which he stated that his limbs were broken.
The chargesheet clarifies that the deaths resulted from the men’s fall from the bridge while attempting to escape, not from an assault by the pursuing mob.
